Link-last.



E. O. KRENTLER.

LINK LAST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 199a.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT Frat) EDWIN .O. KRENTLEB, OF DETROIT,'MIOHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KRENTLER-ARNOLD HJ'LNGE LAST COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LINK-LAST.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN O. KRENTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, Michigan, have invented an Iniprovement in Link-Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is a hinged last having two objects in view, viz., inexpensive construcmy invention, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, parts being broken away, showing the last in its lengthened position, and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thelast in the position it assumes on a jack ready to re ceive a shoe.

In carrying out myuinvention I have preferred to give the last mainly a sliding movement as distinguished from a wholly swinging movement, and accordingly my invention resides in the particular lines of cut whereby the last has an exceedingly stable position both when lengthened and when shortened, and the location and arrangement of the pivoted link hinge which cooperates .with the end formation or line of cut 'to permitand require the precise movement necessary in order to accomplish my object.

Beginning at a convenient point 1 in the shank of the last or in front ofthe heelpart-,I-sever the tor'epart 2 from the heelpart 3 by a short vertical cut 4 terminating, at 5 and'thence an oblique straight or plane secant line 6, which in the forepart is preferably deflected at 7 and thence continues to the crown of the instep at 8, the adjacent,

portion of the heel-part being preferably cut oifat 9 soas not to interfere withthe lacing of the shoe. On pivots or transverse pins 10 and 11 is mounted to swing freely, a relatively short and preferably heavymetal link or hinge 12. The pivots 10,11

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January e, 1908. Serial llfl'o. 409,262.

Patented Oct. 27, was.

lie preferably very nearl or entirely in a horizontal plane and pre erably at or above the vertical middle of the last, although this exact position depends upon the configuration of the severing line, which may be varied, as will be more apparent later, to some extent Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. As thus constructed it will be apparent that in the first place the first collapsing or shortening movement of the lastmust be straight up along the line 4 for a short distance,.and in the second place that there is no lengthening whatever of the last-as it begins to move away from its position Fig. l but it begins to shorten immediately when the heel begins to move. These two points are of practical value in the operation of a last in a shoe factory, and particularly so in a second last or follower.

As soon as the heel-part 3 has moved vertically a very short distance it then swingson the pivot 10 as a center and likewise slides, thereby turning slightly also on the pivot 11 until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the rear end of the oblique cut 6 laps over and rests against the bottom front-corner or shoulder of the heel-part. The flat inclined wall, face or secantupper end of the forepart. rests solidly flat against the corresponding broad extended fiat area of the wall or secant end 6 of the heel-part. This gives great stability of position when the last is collapsed as shown in Fig. 2. Thisis the shortened position which it ,is necessary that the parts should assume 'when a shoe is to he relastcd, '1'. 0., is to be placed again on the last. One of the great practical drawbacks tomost lasts is that in relasting. when the last is on the forepart will not remain in shortened position but will slide or swing back into lengthened position, under the slight downward pressnre which most operators almost invariably use in connection with the forward 'main shoving pressure exerted on the shoe as it is pushed over the toe of the last toward the heel. My present last overcomes this difficulty however, without requiring any special locks, hinges, or other cumbersome or -.expensive parts. Because of the slight overhang of the bottom oli'the foreparton the bottom of the heel-part, and be .cimsejof'the broad flat abutting surfaces of the forepart and heel-part adjacent the .crown, and the direction, location and con-v struction of the single link connecting menr ber, the last invariably remains shortened.

By havinga single link and having it freely plvotedat its opposite ends so that each lastpart can have a slight pivotal movement rea, l'ativelyi-tothe other last-partvwhen not in. 1G I per plane'surface'from 7 to 8 at an angle to lengthenedposition, and by having the upthe main inclined orfcontiguous' plane surface 6, the heel-part permitted to swing under the forepart, "when inverted as shown in Fig. 2, and adjust its largeplane oblique surface -or wall flat against the opposite oblique surface or wall from 7 to 8, and thereby for a corner-or engaging edge-at the bottom Isecurea stability of position and firm re-.

sistance to the shifting pressure mentioned,

when a shoe is being relasted. This-stability of. position is increased by' having provision front end -of .the, heel-part to engage the its severed end and the relatively long andoverhanging sloping or oblique wall 6 near? the bottomlof the last. Besides. this functional advantage, my last is exceedingly strong, as will be evident viewing the large solid blunt-ended s hape 0f the forepart at solid adjacent end of the heel-part, neither of which are seriously cutjintoand have no. cuts, formation or applied parts so located or. shaped as to tend to give the last a tenden'cyto split lengthwise which construction has proved disastrous to many otherwise excellent constructions. Also by'reason of my angular or' broken line ofcut the forepart of j the'last'is slightly inclosed by the heel-part of the last, so that one'part does not tend lniate'rially to twist or turn on the other part, and hence, for this reason, a single link is suflicient' to join the last even whenused as a-lfirst last.v

One of. the main features of my invention resides in providing the-forepart with two oblique walls at an angle to-each other, and connectingthe heel-part by such form of connecting means that it permlts the automatic turning or adjustment of theheel-part so as to bring its oblique wall into flat abutting contact against the lower of said two oblique wallsof the forepart when thelast is; in lengthened position and into flat abutting contact against the upper of said two ob- I ing saidcooperation ofthe parts intsuch a manner that the relastmg: thrusts or pres-- lique walls of the forepart when the last is in shortened position, said construct on effectclaimed, but is claimed in my 'c'opending application Serial No. 421,521 filed Niarch 16,

1908. I claim herein my specific construction in which the link 12 is employed, hav

ing the two pivot pins 10 and 11 snugly fit ting the-holesor' link apertures for pivotal inovement only, so that the pins 10 and 11 always remain at invariably the same distance apart, said construction cooperating with the angular line of cut -5, 7, 8 in permitting the peculiar combined swinging and sliding movement already described. -Also, while I prefer to stop the inclined wall 6 at the point 5 and thence sever the lastj parts along the vertical plane 4, as the simplest' means of providing the shoulder or corner'of, the heel-part, I" do not intend to restrict my invention in all cases to this construction as this has'the same result, as also the provlsion of" means to prevent lateral shifting and give the parts a tendency to remain in stable lengthened position when the heel-part is swung down as shownin Fig. 1, maybe accomplished in various other ways without departing from thespi'rit and scope of my invention as hereinafter defined in certain of the claims. Accordingly I intend herein to claim the same generically.

-Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent '18,-

1. A divided last, having its forepart and heel-part severed by a line of cut and joined by 'a connecting member, affording a corner having its angular extremity atthe front bottom edge of the heel-part, an overhanging inclined wall on the forepart engaged and supported by said angular extremity of adjacent the crown extended forward towards the crown in planes transverse to the general direction of the pressure on the-forepart, of-a shoe when being shoved rearward on said forepart in being relasted.

. 2. A divided last,,ha.ving its parts severed by an angular line of cut extending down said corner when the last is shortened,and v flatly abutting oblique secant faces of exten fsive area at the secant ends of said last-parts from the crown of the'last rearwardly' in an oblique direction, a single connecting link transversely pivoted at its opposite ends in said respective last-parts approximately midway from the bottom to the top of the last and substantially ina horizontal plane and transverse pivot pins for said connecting link maintainedin all positions at thesame distance apart, the upper portion of said angular line of cut extending forward in a plane affording fiat abutting faces of extensive area transverse to the general direction of the pressureon the forepart, 'of a' shoe when being shoved rearward on said forepartin being relasted, said flatly abutting faces, when in cont-actwith each other, serving to resist saidrelasting pressureof the shoe and aid in preventing'the tendency of season the last to collapse prematurely and to pre: vent the tendency 0 either last-part to turn on its PiWOt with relation to the other last ma Y t ijeikinh at its rear end with two transverse s'effiiilt feces et an angle to eechother and both extei'iding obliquely downward toward the heel end of the lest the lower of said two secant faces more nearly ep roa'chingthe verhens than the upper, an havlng its heel-x pait provided. with an oblique -secant face adapted to cooperate with the lower of said forep nr't faces when the last is in lengthened position and with the up or of said two forepart faces when the last 18 in collapsed position,-a link apertured at its opposite ends, and transverse pivot pins snugly fitting said apertures for pivota forepart and heel-p'art'and permitting the heel-part to adjust its said secant face against the lower forepart face-Whenthe last is lengthened and against the upper forepa i't face when the last is shortened whereby whenthe last is in said shortened position movement only, said. link and pins permanently connecting said.

the said twoabutting faces tend to aid in maintaining the last in position for receiv- 1ng a shoe when being relas'ted. v

4. A dlvided' last, having a connecting link pivoted at its opposite ends in the fore- A divided lest, having its forepart' propart and heel-part respectively approxiinat'ely half way fromthe bottom of the last to the top, said forepart being severed from the heel-part byia line of cut extending in a vertical plane 11 wardfrom the bottom of I the last a short distance and thencein a diagonal plane extending upward and forward approximately half the distance to the crown of the last, the upper rear end of the foreai't having its secant face in a plane deiiectedfromsaid point forward at an angle to receive the broad extended face of the heel-partat said oblique plane in flat supporting engagement therewith whenthe heelwpart is swing on said link. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of .two subscribing witnesses.

I E DWIN O. KRENTLER. Witnesses:

LOUISE KEMBLE, MINNIE R. HOEFT. 

